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AI as Normal Technology

(knightcolumbia.org)
237 points randomwalker | 3 comments | 15 Apr 25 20:05 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source
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roxolotl ◴[17 Apr 25 12:20 UTC] No.43715735[source]▶
This is a rare piece on AI which takes a coherent middle of the road viewpoint. Saying both that AI is “normal” and that it will be transformative is a radical statement in today’s discussions about AI.

Looking back on other normal but transformative technologies: steam power, electricity, nuclear physics, the transistor, etc you do actually see similarly stratified opinions. Most of those are surrounded by an initial burst of enthusiasm and pessimism and follow a hype cycle.

The reason this piece is compelling is because during the initial hype phase taking a nuanced middle of the road viewpoint is difficult. Maybe AI really is some “next step” but it is significantly more likely that belief is propped up by science fiction and it’s important to keep expectations inline historically.

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datadrivenangel ◴[17 Apr 25 13:35 UTC] No.43716597[source]▶
AI will transform everything, and after that life will continue as normal, so except for the details, it's not a big deal.

Going to be a simultaneously wild and boring ride.

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1. sanderjd ◴[17 Apr 25 18:46 UTC] No.43720675[source]▶
I think this is my take as well. Like, the web and smart phones and social media have transformed everything ... and also life goes on.
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2. TheGRS ◴[17 Apr 25 19:10 UTC] No.43720927[source]▶
Right, but society changes around this stuff pretty substantially. A lot of the discourse gets spent debating whether we like the changes or not, and the solutions to the new problems are usually very pie-in-the-sky or completely unachievable. Like we can't really put the social media genie back in the bottle, its here and society has reshaped around it. But banning phones from schools is pretty tangible and I'd probably argue its for the betterment of students.
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3. sanderjd ◴[18 Apr 25 04:20 UTC] No.43724977[source]▶
Agreed